. . . A Just War in Iraq

By

Robert P. George

Updated Dec. 6, 2002 12:01 am ET

Religious leaders have questioned whether war in Iraq can be justified. Three of their concerns are most important: (1) Can military action be morally legitimate if it is pre-emptive? (2) Is it morally permissible to use force to oust a tyrannical and aggressive regime, as opposed to merely disarming it? (3) May the U.S. legitimately lead a coalition against Saddam Hussein if the U.N. refuses to authorize the use of force to remove or disarm his regime?

Those raising these questions are not pacifists. They do not suggest that...